Q: My husband and I have been
married for 13 years. He was raised Protestant; I am Catholic.
Before we married, we decided that our children would be
raised Catholic.

We are fulfilling this promise. My
husband believes all that Catholics teach. He believes in
his heart that Jesus is present in the Eucharist.

There is one problem: My husband resists
the idea of becoming Catholic, of converting to this faith.
When I ask, “Why?” he replies, “I don’t need a piece of
paper to prove my relationship with Jesus.”

How can I help him to become whole
in the Catholic faith without detouring the good that he
is instilling in our children? They have a terrific bond
with him and are highly influenced by his actions.

I know the Holy Spirit is working
on him, and I would like somehow to help without causing
my husband to dismiss the idea.

A: Your husband is, of course, correct in saying
that a piece of paper won’t prove his relationship with
Jesus—no matter to which Church your husband belongs. Lives
open to the Good News and the effects of grace reflect a
person’s relationship with Jesus.

But isn’t the more important consideration, “Where is that
relationship with Jesus being fed? Where is it being nourished,
challenged and deepened?”

No one’s relationship with Jesus today can be totally self-made.
Our knowledge about him comes most directly from people
who were not themselves eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life. We
regard the Scriptures as unique forms of God’s revelation
because a faith community tells us that they are.

We do not believe alone, in complete isolation from other
believers. If that relationship is being fed primarily in
the Catholic Church, wouldn’t it make sense to become a
full member?

You did not mention your husband’s family. His reluctance
to become a Catholic may be a way of avoiding difficulties
with his parents or other family members.

In fact, many Catholic parishes find that the majority
of adults in their RCIA program are spouses of Catholics.
RCIA members often want to worship as a family.

What your husband loves most about you is probably very
much connected to your religious faith. Although he might
not put it in those terms, that may be the case. Perhaps
it is time for him to consider joining.

In all of this, God’s grace and responding to it are primary.
If your husband remains opposed to the idea of becoming
Catholic, it’s best not to force the issue.

Q:
In the Gospel of John 8:1-11,
is the adulterous woman Mary
Magdalene? Some people say yes and
others say no. I’m confused.

A: That is not Mary Magdalene. She is also not the
“sinful woman” in Luke 7:36-50 or the woman who anointed
Jesus a few days before his crucifixion (Matthew 26:6-13
and Mark 14:3-9).

Much is known for certain about Mary Magdalene: She helped
finance Jesus and his disciples (Luke 8:2), had seven demons
cast out of her (Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2), and was present
at the foot of the cross (named in three Gospels and implied
in Luke 23:49). She is the only person all four Gospels
agree saw the empty tomb on Easter morning and saw the risen
Jesus before any of the apostles did (Mark 16:9 and John
20:14-18). How ironic that she is remembered for something
no Gospel says she did!

She is probably associated with Luke’s “sinful woman” story
for two reasons: She is mentioned in the next story (8:1-3)
and some Christians wanted a personal name for this penitent
woman.

Based on the internal evidence from John 8:1-11, many reputable
Scripture scholars think that this story was not written
by the author of that Gospel. It might have been inserted
there by someone who considered the story too important
to risk losing.

Regardless of who wrote it, this story is as much a part
of God’s revelation as any other story in the Gospel of
John.

Q: If the Sacrament of Confirmation
is a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit, why don’t we Catholics
speak in tongues after receiving it? Why are such manifestations
of the Spirit seen only among charismatics at prayer?

A: Speaking in tongues (glossolalia) is best
understood by starting with First Corinthians 12:1—14:40.
There Paul explains that every gift of the Spirit is to
benefit the entire Body of Christ.

Any gift can be misused by damaging that
body, especially by causing factions (for and against someone
or a small group of people). Apparently, that had already
happened in Corinth before Paul wrote First Corinthians.

Paul teaches that the Spirit’s greatest
gift is charity (13:13). All other gifts are subordinate
to it. See Galatians 5:22 where Paul describes nine “fruits”
of the Spirit.

The vast majority of confirmed Catholics
will never speak in tongues—as Paul uses that term. Why?
That’s a good question to ask God when you get to heaven.

Most Catholics and other Christians have
cooperated with God’s grace in less dramatic but no less
effective ways than speaking in tongues. What is primary
is using the Spirit’s gifts to build up the Body of Christ.

Q: I was told that getting a tattoo was a sin
against God. I am Catholic and would like to become a eucharistic
minister.

On the wrist of my right arm, I have an inch and a half
tattoo of a hummingbird and a little flower. Does that mean
that I cannot be a eucharistic minister?

A: In Leviticus 19:28, God tells the Hebrew people
not to tattoo themselves. Because many pagans used these
as religious symbols, Scripture scholars tell us this prohibition
was meant to help the Hebrews separate themselves from pagan
society.

I am not aware of any general rule in the Catholic Church
prohibiting someone with a tattoo from becoming a eucharistic
minister.

Many tattoos convey messages contrary to Jesus’ Good News;
others do not. What you described sounds pretty harmless
in its meaning.

If you had a satanic symbol tattooed in a very visible
place, I would recommend removing it or, if that is not
possible, figuring out how to cover it up before seeking
to become a eucharistic minister. That is not your case.

I am not recommending that anyone get a tattoo; I am simply
answering the question you posed.

Q: I do not understand the part during Mass where
we say, “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only
say the word and I shall be healed” [emphasis added].

What is the “word” that we are waiting for? What exactly
are we asking for here? Or how do I know when I am worthy?

A: Just before Holy Communion, the celebrant raises
the host and proclaims to the congregation: “This is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy
are those who are called to his supper.” The people respond
with the prayer that you cited.

That response is adapted from the centurion’s prayer in
Matthew 8:8. The centurion asked Jesus to cure his servant
at home. When Jesus said he would come to the centurion’s
home, the man responded that he was not worthy to have Jesus
visit his house. Besides, if Jesus would stay there and
“only say the word,” then the servant would be healed.

Jesus did; the servant was cured. Jesus praised the great
faith of this gentile centurion.

By substituting the word “I” for “servant,” the Church
has adapted this prayer into a preparation for receiving
Holy Communion.

How do you know when you are worthy to receive the Eucharist?
Strictly speaking, no one is ever worthy. Jesus’ healing
makes us less unworthy. In this prayer before Holy Communion,
worthy means that the person has confessed any mortal
sins and is properly disposed to receive this sacrament.

“Only say the word” is a way of acknowledging that all
healing and grace ultimately come from God.

If you have a question for Father Pat, please submit it here.
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